


Pendulous Beginnings

by surivaADmassin



Series: Pendulous Alliances [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Gay Sirius Black, Good Severus Snape, Lily Evans Potter & Severus Snape Friendship, M/M, Marauders, Marauders Friendship, Marauders' Era, Severus Snape Has a Heart, Young Severus Snape, Young Sirius Black
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-28
Updated: 2018-11-10
Packaged: 2019-06-17 21:13:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15470184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/surivaADmassin/pseuds/surivaADmassin
Summary: “You ready to lose your wand, Snape?” Sirius called.“As if. Be ready to hand me yours, Black.”---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Follow the Marauder's as they navigate the web of love, friendship, and family as war threatens to destroy everything they hold dear.*This will be a series.





	1. Prologue

#  **Prologue**

I hate him. I absolutely hate him, Severus thought as he prowled down the corridors of Hogwarts to his dungeons.

“SIRIUS BLACK!!!” he snarled to the empty, damp airs of his quarters, slamming the door shut. He took a bottle of firewhiskey out of his forbidden cabinet. He rarely drank but BLACK was an exception. But, then again, Black was an exception to all the rules, Severus thought bitterly as he poured himself a glass and took a gulp. He allowed the liquid to burn his throat as he pondered over what had happened over the past few hours.

A blinding rage filled him. How dare that stupid idiotic Gryffindor escape? How dare he put my life in danger again? Severus threw his glass against the wall watching in fascination as it shattered, the shards of glass flying. Severus absentmindedly flicked his wrist, cleaning up the mess he made, before slumping onto a chair, wondering how and when his life got so complicated. Slowly, he let his occlumency shields down, allowing his memories to stream through his consciousness…


	2. Hogwarts

#  **Chapter 1: Hogwarts**

_September 1, 1971_

Severus watched as the crowds on platform 9 ¾ buzzed around with wizarding families sending their children off to Hogwarts. He wished his mother was here to also sent him off.

“Sev, let’s go get a seat,” Lily said as she grabbed his arm and dragged him towards the Hogwarts Express.

“Slow down,” he called after her, momentarily forgetting his worries. He turned back to face Mr. and Mrs. Evans, who were staring worriedly after their youngest daughter, and muttered a small thank you. As he followed Lily towards the train, he caught sight of a boy whose father was gently explaining something with an expression of worry and pride.

“James…”, he heard the father say to the bored looking boy. The rest of the man’s words got lost in the chatter of the crowd. The bubbling resentment Severus held for his drunkard father only intensified as he watched the father kiss his son. Those were the moments he could never have. He pushed his dark thoughts away as he elbowed his way through the crowd. Suddenly, he felt his arm contact something hard.

“Hey!” a voice yelled. Surprised, Severus turned around to spot a slightly annoyed looking boy. “You could’ve elbowed my pretty face!” the boy sounded slightly horrified at the thought of getting a bruised visage.

Severus raised an eyebrow, exactly how narcissistic was this guy, he thought before retorting, “I’m sorry. I just thought your ugly face needed a makeover.” Before the boy could say another word, he sneered and quickly boarded the train.

“Sev, come on, or there won’t be any empty compartments left.” Lily said as she ducked into a compartment. She sat down next to the window, and placed her head against the glass. What’s wrong Severus wondered.  Only yesterday, Lily had been jumping happily as she packed to go to Hogwarts. Now, she seemed downcast and crestfallen.

“What’s wrong?” He asked her quietly as two boys noisily entered the compartment.

“It’s nothing.” she lied before giving him a quick smile. Severus frowned, it was unlike his friend to lie about her feelings. Then it hit him, the only person who hadn’t showed up to send Lily off was her stuck up older sister, Petunia.  

“Did you guys fight again?” he queried gently. Ever since Lily had discovered magic, the sisters fought more and more often. He never understood why Lily cared, since he had no siblings, but he tried to comfort her as best as he could. She gave him no reply, but he could see the sadness in her green eyes. Green was his favorite color…the trees, Lily’s eyes and of course the color of Slytherin. “Hey, don’t worry, we are both going to Hogwarts and we’ll be in Slytherin,” he said trying to cheer her up.

At that moment, one of the boys, who had paid no attention to them before, exclaimed, “Who wants to be Slytherin? I think I would leave before I had to be part of that pit of snakes.” Severus looked up and recognized the boy, James, the one he had seen with his loving father.

The other boy, who Severus recognized as the “pretty boy”, quietly admitted “Most of my family has been Slytherin.” He grinned, “But I am hoping to break tradition.”

“Oh, and here I was thinking you were alright. I want to be a Gryffindor, where the brave at heart dwell!” said James.

“I would rather have brains than brawn,” stated Severus in a cold tone.

“Oi, you’re the boy that almost knocked up my pretty face,” observed the boy with the grey eyes.

“See Sirius, the house of Slytherin, only hosts slimy snakes like him.”

At this point, Lily stood up. “Come on Severus.” Lily said before turning around and glaring at the two boys. “Let’s find another compartment.”

“Ooooo…” the two boys mocked as Lily dragged Severus out of the room.

“The nerve!” Lily exclaimed hotly as she marched up the aisle. “As if they knew anything.” She halted at an empty compartment before sliding the door. She plopped down on a seat and sighed. The rest of the train ride passed with the two talking about the adventures they’d have at their new school. As the Hogwarts Express raced on, Severus couldn’t help but admit in the confines of his mind that the “pretty boy” was handsome.

* * *

 

_September 1, 1971_

“Can we join you?” a brown haired boy asked as he gestured to our boat tiredly.

James moved aside to make some room for the two boys, rocking the boat slightly as he did so, “Sure.”

In the couple hours he had spent with James, Sirius had to admit he had never met someone so optimistically confident. “This is James, and I am Sirius,” he introduced as the two other boys sat down.

“I am Remus,” the brown haired boy smiled, before pointing to his companion, a short pudgy faced boy with blonde hair, “And this is Peter.”

Sirius glanced around as the boats moved towards Hogwarts and noticed the red-haired girl and the pale faced boy he had met on the train. The pair was sitting with an unfamiliar blonde and Alice Macmillian. He knew Alice from the society parties his mother dragged him to. She was one of the few girls he enjoyed talking to at those parties. As she spotted him, her eyes widened in recognition, and she grinned. He gave a slight wave before averting his eyes to stare up at the magnificence of the Hogwarts Castle, hoping that he’d belong.

As the first years made their way up the stairs following the half-giant, Hagrid, Severus looked up at Hogwarts with wonder. He could feel Lily’s hand squeezing his in excitement and nervous anticipation, as Hagrid led them inside and handed them off to Professor McGonagall. Marlene, the blonde haired girl that joined them on the boat, rhetorically asked, “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” No reply was verbalized for the truth lay before their eyes. Hogwarts was indeed breathtaking.

While they waited, Remus asked the boys he had met on the boat if they knew how they got sorted.

“I hope we have to fight a troll,” James replied. “I will be the bravest man and prove my worth for Gryffindor.”

“A TROLL?!” squeaked Peter before giving a horrible screech as he jumped. All the first years turned around to see the Hogwarts ghosts race towards them. Before any pandemonium could break out, their attention was quickly diverted as Professor McGonagall returned and led them into the Great Hall.

Sirius looked up and gazed at the bewitched ceiling of the Hall trying to find his star, the brightest star in the night sky. He could hear the Sorting Hat singing it’s customary song, but he paid it no heed as he stared at the Dog Star on the ceiling.

“Avery, Sylvain.” McGonagall announced. A short boy with gelled brown hair sat down on a small wooden stool. McGonagall placed the hat on his head and stepped away.

A few moments later the hat shouted, “Slytherin.”  

“Black, Sirius.” McGonagall said. He felt James slightly push him ahead. “Good luck,” he said encouragingly.

Sirius blinked before walking ahead, hoping he looked braver than he felt as everyone stared at him. Ignoring the stern face of Professor McGonagall, he sat down and looked at the crowd as the sorting hat was placed on his head. “Well, well, well, another Black I see,” the sorting hat mused. Not just any Black Sirius thought. He was nothing like his family, and this was his chance to prove it. The sorting hat chuckled. “Hmm, so you are.” the hat sounded amused. “Not a bad mind I see, and there’s plenty of talent and courage. Loyalty to those you love. Better be GRYFFINDOR!” the hat shouted the last word. Sirius sat stunned. Mother is going to kill me he thought numbly as he slid off the chair. No one clapped as the Black heir sat down at the Gryffindor table. Sirius looked over at the Slytherin table where his family glared at him, except Andromeda who winked and gave him an encouraging smile. At least Andy looks happy he thought glumly as he tried to ignore his other cousin, Narcissa. Might as well start writing my will Sirius thought as he tried not to picture his parent’s reaction to his sorting. He heard another cheer as someone else got sorted. Then he heard a name he recognized, Lily Evans. He shook himself out of his thoughts and focused on the sorting. “GRYFFINDOR!” the hat shouted. Lily smiled as she slid off the stool and sat down across from Sirius. He gave her a weak smile which she ignored.

Lily watched the sorting, hoping that Severus would be sorted in the same house. “Benjy Fenwick.” McGonagall called. A dark haired boy walked up and sat down on the stool.

There were a few moments of silence before the hat announced, “HUFFLEPUFF!” there was a loud cheer from the table next to the Slytherin’s table, which was on the other side of the room.

“Lupin, Remus.” Sirius looked up as the boy from the boat put the sorting hat on.

“GRYFFINDOR!” the hat declared after a few seconds. The boy’s shoulders slumped in relief as he walked over and sat down next to Sirius.

“I’m glad we’re both in the same house.” he smiled at Sirius, whose spirits rose a bit. At least he had a few friends he thought as he continued to watch the sorting. Another three girls joined Gryffindor house. Sirius recognized one of them as Alice. He gave her a smile as she sat across from him.

“Nice to know we ended up on the same side after all.” she joked before jutting her chin at the Slytherin table. Sirius grinned.

“Told you I was different.” he retorted playfully. They chuckled over their inside joke before being interrupted by another cheer from the Ravenclaw table.

“Who was that?” Alice wondered as she craned her neck to spot the person.

“No idea.” Sirius replied.

“Look, Mulciber’s next.” Alice pointed out frowning. “He’s a definite Slytherin.” No kidding, Sirius thought as Alice’s prediction came true.

“It’s Peter.” Remus said from beside him. They watched as Peter nervously sat on the stool. The hat stayed still for a few minutes. Peter continued to look terrified.

“Why is it taking so long, Marlene?” Lily whispered.

“It’s a hat stall,” a girl with blond hair answered.

“Wonder which houses it’s debating between.” Alice said.

“Who knows?” another girl shrugged. “I’m Mary by the way.” she told the group before concentrating on the sorting.

Finally, after an eternity of waiting the hat announced, “GRYFFINDOR!” The group cheered as Peter scampered over and sat down as quickly as he possibly could.

Next is Potter, Sirius thought as James confidently made his way to the sorting hat. The hat barely touched his head before crying out, “GRYFFINDOR!” James grinned and strutted to the table and squeezed in between Sirius and Remus.

“Well done, guys. We are all Gryffindors, the best there ever was or will be.” he said arrogantly. Lily rolled her eyes before turning away to watch a boy who Professor McGonagall identified as Evan Rosier get sorted into Slytherin.

Lily fidgeted nervously when Severus was called up.

Severus calmly walked to the hat. Although his face portrayed no emotions, he was a jumble of nerves. “Ah, welcome to Hogwarts, half-blood Prince. I never thought I would encounter one, but the times are changing.” Blood status doesn’t determine magical power Severus retorted. “No, it does not, but many in this hall disagree” the hat replied knowingly. “Ambition is the mark of Slytherin, but I also see courage and loyalty in your heart. True friends will accept you for who you are.” it said before calling out “SLYTHERIN!” Severus slid down the stool, smiled sadly at Lily, and sat down next to a tall blonde teen. The blonde turned to Severus, smiled, and held out his hand. Severus accepted it and the man introduced himself as Lucius Malfoy, a prefect.

“Nice to make your acquaintance, Snape.”

“Thank you, Malfoy. I am honored to be a Slytherin.” Severus turned back to watch as the last person, a tall dark boy named Walter Wilkes was also sorted into Slytherin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would love to hear your feedback! Please comment. I loved the response for the Iron Man fic. If you haven't read it then please take a look.


	3. Chapter 2: A Not So Wonderful Morning

#  **Chapter 2: A Not So Wonderful Morning**

_September 1, 1971_

“All Slytherin first years, follow me and Ayelda Fawley”, Lucius Malfoy ordered waving in the general direction of a slim girl with blonde wavy hair.

Severus rose from the most sumptuous meal he had eaten. He wanted to sneak in seconds, but decided it would make him look weak. He followed Lucius as the blonde boy led them to a door on the right side of the Entrance Hall which continued deeper into the castle leading to the dungeons.

“Asphodel.” A door swung open revealing a low underground room with green lights and ornate medieval carvings. Light green and obsidian black cushions decorated comfortable looking leather couches.

“This is the Slytherin Common Room. The password will change every fortnight and it will be posted on the bulletin board. It is your duty to remember it and keep it a secret.” Fawley explained as she surveyed the first years that huddled around her.

“We are partially under the lake so you may see the great squid or other creatures of the lake. The boys’ dormitories are on the left and the girls’ dormitories are on the right. Boys are prohibited from going into the ladies’ rooms.” Lucius further explained. “Boys, follow me,” he commanded as he led them to a large semi-circular room with five beds, three of which were in front of large windows overlooking the bottom of the lake. “This will be your dorm for the next seven years, so choose your spot wisely.”

The boys scrambled, and Severus, who was quite short compared to his roommates, quickly grabbed a bed next to the window.

“Introduce yourselves. Stick together. Bullying is not tolerated in this house. Although we may have various allegiances within, we will always be united in front of the school. Curfew is at nine and is strictly enforced.” Lucius coldly stated before turning around and exiting their room.

“I am Evan Rosier,” a thin faced boy stated presumptuously.

“Sylvain Avery.”

“Walter Wilkes,” the boy to Severus’s left introduced himself.

“Severus Snape.”

“Elijah Mulciber,” the boy to Severus’s right and closest to the door stated.

Nobody furthered the conversation, so Severus turned around and began unpacking his trunk. The five worked in silence until Rosier, who was putting up a poster of Ballycastle Bats, asked, “So, what’s your favorite quidditch team?”

“Caerphilly Catapults” Avery said.

“Same as yours Rosier, Ballycastle Bats.” Mulciber commented.

They all turned to look at Severus expectantly and he gave a little shrug replying “I don’t follow Quidditch.”

Looks of dismay and shock were evident on their faces and Mulciber insultingly muttered “Mudblood.”

“Pardon me.” Severus said coldly. “But it might interest you to know that no one in this room is muggle born.” He turned on his heel, kicked off his shoes, wished them all a curt ‘good night’, and closed the curtains to his bed.

Meanwhile, in the Gryffindor common room, Sirius marveled at the warmth of the tower. His three roommates ran up the left staircase, leading to their dorms. “Come on Sirius!” James called. “I call bottom bunk!”

“Huh? Wait a minute! That’s not fair!” Sirius ran after him, determined to claim the bottom bunk first. The two jumped onto the bed and proceeded to wrestle, trying to push the other off.

“Okay, that’s enough guys.” Remus said as he sat on the bottom bunk across from them. “Why don’t you play rock-paper-scissors?” He suggested, trying to prevent the two from getting an injury on the first day.

“What’s that?” Sirius asked as he held James in a head lock, and unsuccessfully dodged a kick aimed at his head. “Owww! That hurt!” he whined.

“And I’m running out of air!” James grunted.

“Okay, okay! Come on guys, we’re not three.” Remus tried to reason with the two.

“Guys…. someone could get hurt.” Peter pointed out hesitantly from the bunk above Remus’s.

“No… we… won’t!” Sirius protested as he struggled to hold his friend down.

“Yeah….” James panted as he struggled to get out of the lock that held him down. “What… he said!” At that, Remus and Peter looked at each other, before deciding to intervene.

“Wha…” James choked as Remus and Peter joined their little wrestling match. The next few moments were filled with grunts and protests of annoyance.

“Watch out!” Peter squeaked as he quickly jumped off the trio. Unceremoniously, the boys fell to the floor. They lay there, a tangle of sweaty limbs, and started to laugh. Sirius stared at his new friends and couldn’t help but feel a burst of happiness. He couldn’t help but think that the best was yet to come. This was home.

 

* * *

 

 

_September 2, 1971_

Sunlight streamed through the windows, but it wasn’t the blinding light that woke Sirius. “Get up, you sleepyhead!” James yelled, throwing a pillow at his head. Sirius groaned from the lower bunk, which he had won yesterday after a fierce battle of rock-paper-scissors.

“Haven’t I sustained enough head injuries already?” he moaned as he blinked blearily.

“Well, I mean, your head’s thick. You should be fine.” James jokingly pointed out.

“True, but not as thick as yours, Potter.”

“Hey, the name’s James. We’re not Slytherins. No more last names, what’d you say?”

“Sure. James.” Sirius muttered, before turning away and snuggling into his blankets.

“No sleepy head, let’s go down for breakfast.” James said as he grabbed his friend’s arm and began to pull him off the bed. “I’m starving, and I’ve heard great things about the Hogwarts Kitchens.” After hearing those words, Sirius perked up and jumped out of bed.

“Where are Remus and Peter?” Sirius yelled from the bathroom as he got ready.

“They’re waiting for us in the common room.”

The boys met their friends in the common room and proceeded to the Great Hall for breakfast. They filled up their plates with eggs, bacon, and toast, and sat down next to Alice and Lily. Sirius was barely half way through his toast before a  familiar dark owl dropped a red blur in front of his face. Alice gasped and asked incredulously, “You told THEM?!”

“Of course not!” Sirius said before looking at the Slytherin Table accusingly. “They did.”

He tried to bring up the famed Gryffindor courage that the hat saw in him. With trembling fingers, he opened the envelope.

“SIRIUS ORION BLACK! HOW DARE YOU DISGRACE OUR FAMILY? YOU TRAITOROUS IGNOBLE MISCREANT! YOUR ACTIONS HAVE ASHAMED US! HOW DARE YOU DISGRACE OUR NOBLE HOUSE AND HERITAGE? HOW DARE YOU DRAG OUR PURE NAME THROUGH THE MUD? A TRUE BLACK WOULD HAVE BEEN SORTED INTO SLYTHERIN! IF I FIND OUT THAT YOU HAVE BEEN FRATERNIZING WITH MUDBLOODS AND BLOOD TRAITORS I WILL DRAG YOU TO THE DEPTHS OF HELL MYSELF! YOU UNGRATEFUL LITTLE WHELP!”  Sirius’s Mother’s voice echoed throughout the Great Hall, which was now dead silent: all of its occupants stared at a pale Sirius Black.

“Siri…” James never got to finish his sentence, as Sirius stood abruptly and power walked out of the hall. James got up and ran after his friend, following him up to the Gryffindor common room. Sirius was curled in a corner, his head resting on his knees. James sat down gingerly beside him and said quietly, “I didn’t know… brother.” Sirius never replied, and James never pursued.

 

* * *

 

Severus was not exactly having a great morning either. After the tense exchange with his roommates last night, he was isolated. In fact, the only person who seemed interested in talking to him was Lucius Malfoy. They were both sitting down eating breakfast when Black’s Howler had dropped like a bomb in the Great Hall.

“Is he really going to be disowned?” Severus asked, feeling pity for the boy.

“Probably not. That was Sirius’s mother, Lady Walburga, who is rumored to be on the opposite end of human sanity. The true Lord Black is Sirius’s grandfather Arcturus, and Sirius is second in line after his father Orion. The Black magic will always recognize Sirius as heir unless he dies or the reigning Lord Black disowns him. This is one of the rules adhered by the Ancient and Noble families.” Lucius explained.

“Black is just a weakling” Rosier interjected into their conversation.

An older blonde-haired girl who had been sitting across from Lucius glared at Rosier and stated smoothly, “Cousin, I would not let dear Andy hear those words. We Blacks are vengeful, and Andy has always been determined and ruthless in getting what she desires.”

“And there goes Narcissa Black” Lucius said in a dazed voice as she turned on her heels and went to get her schedule. “You should probably collect your schedule too.” Lucius advised as he finished drinking his orange juice.

Severus’s schedule wasn’t too bad. Today, he had Defense Against the Dark Arts with the Gryffindors followed by Herbology with the Hufflepuffs, Flying with the Gryffindors and then Transfiguration with the Ravenclaws. Lily would be in the same class and Defense was a truly engaging subject he thought excitedly. He wondered if Black would show up after the debacle, but quickly squashed such pitiful thoughts for the other boy,  as he went back to the Common Room to get his book bag.

“McGonagall’s passing out schedules!” a red-headed boy yelled as he rushed past Remus.

“Fabian the fabulous! Get me mine!” Remus whipped his head around to spot an identical boy chewing on his toast as he watched his twin run to get the schedules.

“Gideon the great, how many times have I told you to get your own?” The other boy retorted. Remus couldn’t help but hide a smile as he stood up to get his own schedule.

“C’mon.” he said to Peter who was quietly nibbling on a piece of bacon. Peter looked up, wide eyed before standing. The two grabbed four copies of the first-year schedules and headed back to the Common Room.

“I hope Sirius is okay.” Peter began. Remus couldn’t help but agree.

“I wonder if he’ll feel up to going to class. It’s the first day, and it wouldn’t exactly give the teachers the best impression if he missed class today.” Peter nodded at Remus’s explanation.

“Hopefully James has cheered him up.” Peter crossed his fingers and smiled at Remus.

“If anyone can do it, it’s James.” Remus admitted. The two had seemed close from the beginning, perhaps they knew each other from before. Either way, Remus was glad that Sirius had someone he could trust. He didn’t exactly seem like the open feely type.

The two hurried down the corridors, to find two older girls in front of the Gryffindor Common Room. One of them was arguing with the portrait of the Fat Lady. “You have to let me in, my cousin’s in there!” she said angrily. Remus took note of her green and silver tie. Must be one of Sirius’s relatives he thought before approaching them cautiously. Peter stood behind him, practically hiding himself from view.

“Excuse me.” he said politely. “Can we get through, please?” The angry brunette turned around and paused when she saw the first years. She sighed.

“I’m sorry.” she apologized. “Please tell Sirius that Andy is waiting outside.” Remus eyed the blond girl cautiously and then looked back at ‘Andy’. “Please.” she asked again.

“Sure, but if you hurt him….” Remus trailed off as he contained to stare at the older students.

“Matters concerning the Black Family stay within the Black Family.” the blonde stated coldly.

“We aren’t here to hurt him though.” The brunette interjected, giving the other girl a light glare. “We just want to make sure he’s okay.” Remus could tell that she was worried, and her words seemed genuine enough.

“We’ll tell him to come down, but please wait a few feet away. Our password is a Gryffindor secret.” He finally said. As the girls moved back, he whispered “Bravehearts” and the Fat Lady swung open. He and Peter walked into the Common Room to find James’s hand hanging over Sirius shoulders who was hugging his knees.

“Sirius, James.” Remus said gently. James looked up questioningly.

“We got your schedules.” Peter quietly said as he lifted the papers.

“Is he okay?” Remus mouthed as he gestured to Sirius.

“Don’t know.” James mouthed back as he glanced at Sirius with concern.

“When do classes start?” Sirius asked numbly from his spot on the ground.

“Nine.” James replied as Sirius lifted his head and looked up. He gestured for the schedule, grabbed it, and groaned.

“Unbelievable.” he muttered. “Our first class is with the Slytherins.”

“It is?” Peter asked as he scanned the paper and gasped. “Why?” he moaned as he looked up at the ceiling.

“There might be a more pressing matter on our hands.” Remus cut in. The three turned their attention to him. “Someone called ‘Andy’ is waiting for you outside the Common Room, along with a blonde girl. They’re in Slytherin.”

“Andy’s out there?” Sirius asked hopefully. Remus nodded. “I’ll be back.” Sirius said, before rushing out the door. The three exchanged confused glances before deciding to let their friend deal with his own problems. They’d interfere if he looked like he was in trouble. They headed out to see the brunette embrace Sirius as the blonde looked on with a strained smile on her face.

“Sirius, are you okay?” Andromeda said as she pulled back and looked at Sirius worriedly. “Don’t listen to Aunt Walburga, you didn’t shame the family.” He gave her a weak smile.

“She sounded really mad. This is probably the worst thing I’ve ever done. She’ll kill me when I get home.” Sirius closed his eyes and frowned.

“It’s a wonder she didn’t kill you already.” Narcissa thought out loud. “Kidding.” she said as her older sister glared at her.

“Don’t worry, she’ll forget by Christmas break. Just watch.” Andromeda reassured her cousin. Sirius nodded with uncertainty. “Plus, you still have me.” Sirius smiled at her sadly.

“Careful Andy, or they might disown you along with me.” He said wryly.

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Narcissa said. “As if they’d disown you and make a huge fuss about a sorting. Blacks have been disowned for less than that.”

“Cissa…Sirius, just ignore her. You know how she is. There is no way Lord Black is disowning you over such a trivial matter. Aunt Walburga is crazy and we all know it.”

“That’s my mother alright” Sirius said cheekily.

“Sirius Orion Black!’ Andromeda chided. “Respect your elders!” she joked before turning serious. “You better get to class, don’t want to dishonor our name any further do you?”

“But I have Defense Against the Dark Arts with Slytherins!”

“All the better. The Black lessons we have learned are the lessons of Slytherin too. Don’t ever show weakness.” Narcissa advised.

“Go out there and show whoever wrote home about your sorting that you may not be a Slytherin but you are still a Black. A true Black.” Andy added.

Sirius nodded. “Thanks cousins.” he added while doing a formal pureblood bow and kissing each of their knuckles. He gave them a big grin as they playfully swatted him. He ducked and ran back to his friends, “Let’s get going to Defense Against the Dark Arts. Merlin knows I will be needing that.”


	4. Defense Against the Dark Arts

 

_ September 2, 1971 _

Severus and Lily walked into the partially empty Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. They grabbed a bench towards the front of the room and took out their notebooks.

“Lily, is everything alright in Gryffindor?” Severus asked turning towards Lily with a concerned look.

“Yeah, it’s great. I love it Sev! My roommates are Alice and Marlene, who are both purebloods, and Mary, who is muggle born from Yorkshire. Are you okay in Slytherin? I’ve heard some not-so-great things about it.”

Severus wanted to tell her what had transpired last night, but he quickly decided against it. He didn’t want to look weak in front of anyone, especially Lily. “Slytherin’s good. The house just has a bad reputation Lily. You don’t think I have turned evil, do you?” he asked insecurely.

“No, of course not. You’re my best friend, Sev!” she said before giving him a hug.

They sat silently for a few minutes as the classroom started to fill up. Avery, the first Slytherin to walk in after Severus, gave him the evil eye. Sirius and his gang were the last to walk in barely making it in on time. The boys walked past them and chose the last bench in the classroom. 

“Welcome to Hogwarts, first years! I am Professor Hylinr.” a dark-haired man with a smooth voice introduced. “In this class you will not only learn how to defend against the Dark Arts, but also how to work together. I have randomly assigned you in Slytherin-Gryffindor pairs. Please sit next to your assigned partner as you will be working with them for the rest of the year. Before you ask, no changes will be made.”

The students groaned as Professor Hylinr announced the pairs, “Sylvain Avery-James Potter, Sirius Black-Severus Snape, Lily Evans-Gina Greengrass, Alia Flint-Mary McDonald, Remus Lupin-Elijah Mulciber, Alice Macmillian-Evan Rosier, Marlene McKinnon-Sierra Selwyn, Peter Pettigrew-Walter Wilkes.”

Great, now I’ll have to deal with Black for the entire year, thought Severus. Why did he have to have such rotten luck? Lily gave him an apologetic smile before walking to sit next to Gina Greengrass. Sirius took Lily’s place and sat down next to Severus. Sirius didn’t say anything and seemed a little put off. “Well, I think we might need better introductions. Severus Snape.” Severus held out his hand.

Black scanned him as if judging his worth and took his hand, “Sirius Black.”

“I am so excited about having the opportunity to knock up your beautiful face, but your cousins are quite the threat.” Severus said sarcastically, hoping that Black could get through his thick head that they were on the same side.

“Didn’t you just hear my mother? She’s quite nutty. I might just follow her example if you ever touch my beautiful face.” Sirius retorted. Severus was pleasantly surprised to see that Sirius understood his sarcasm.

Professor Hylinr interrupted their conversation by bringing the class to order. He started lecturing on the usage of the disarming spell: Expelliarmus.

Surprisingly, the lesson went on without any mishaps. Although some students still looked a little annoyed due to the arranged seating, nothing out of the ordinary occurred that class period. 

Who knew Snape was so dedicated to studying, Sirius thought as he took a peek at Severus’s notes. His small, neat cursive covered two pages detailing the theory behind the disarming spell. Severus, sensing someone was staring, turned around to find Sirius looking at his notes. 

“What?” Severus whispered as he shifted uncomfortably before quickly scribbling down what Professor Hylinr just said. Sirius shook his head and smiled amusedly at the notes. “Well, I’m sorry for taking notes, but not everyone here can afford to be a lazy dunderhead.” Snape said before resolutely turning his attention back to the lecture. Sirius smirked.

“I humbly apologize for being a genius who does not need to indulge himself in such petty things as taking notes.” Sirius whispered back in a slightly haughty voice before giving Snape a crooked smile. Severus snorted before turning his attention back to Professor Hylinr, ending their playful banter. Neither would ever admit it, but both couldn’t help but have a slight smile on their faces for the rest of the period. 

When the bell rang, Sirius walked off towards James, while Severus quickly packed his things. “Wow, it seems that Mr. Black actually behaved all period.” Lily said with a smile. “He wasn’t horrible to you was he?” Her brow furrowed with concern. 

“No, he was fine.” Severus replied with a reassuring smile. “That was an interesting lesson though.” 

“Yes, it was.” Lily grinned. “What do you have next?” She asked.

“Uh… Herbology. You?” He asked as he shouldered his backpack. 

“Transfiguration, apparently Professor McGonagall teaches it, and she seems like a really strict teacher.” Lily said her eyebrows furrowing together with worry. Severus shook his head and lightly flicked her in the middle of her forehead. 

“You’ll be fine, just watch, you’ll probably become one of her favorites in no time.” Snape reassured her as she chewed on her bottom lip. 

“I hope so.” Lily said before taking a deep breath and turning to Severus. “And if I don’t, I’m holding you responsible Mr. I’m-So-Chill-Cause-I-Know-The-Future.” She spun on her heel and walked in the other direction. “Bye!” she waved before following the crowd of Gryffindors towards the Transfiguration Classroom. 

Severus turned on his heel, and followed his fellow first-year Slytherins at a distance. 

“Association and a little flattery can make many allies.” a smooth, familiar voice slid in beside him. He didn’t have to turn to know that Lucius was standing right next to him. 

“Those with too many allies have many enemies.” Snape replied calmly. “How was your first class Malfoy?”

“It was quite interesting. Especially when I learned about the trouble some of the Slytherin boys seem to be having.” To all the world, it seemed as if an older student was offering advice, but Severus knew better: it was a warning. Those who don’t fit in and conform won’t have it easy. Severus remained silent. “You seem to be intelligent, don’t prove me wrong.” Lucius finally said before he turned away. Welcome to Hogwarts, where things are never as they seem Severus thought as he walked outside, towards a greenhouse. 

_ September 2, 1971 _

Lucius’s words rang through Severus’s mind as he listened to Professor Sprout’s lecture. He’s right, Severus thought as he pursed his lips. If I don’t start acting like a Slytherin, bad things could happen. I have to at least interact with the other first years, no matter how unpleasant they might be. With that in mind, he decided that he’ll try to talk to the others during lunch. Herbology passed by pretty quickly, however Severus couldn’t help but find the class a bit boring. He mentally sighed as he gathered his books and followed his classmates to the Great Hall. At least we didn’t get any homework, he thought. 

“Sev!” a familiar blur of red stopped in front of him. “You were wrong! I suck at Transfiguration!” she wailed. He blinked before remembering what he told her.

“Give it a few days Lils, it’s only the first day. Talent doesn’t just magically appear you know,” he said laughing.

“Yeah? Tell that to Mr. I’m-So-Good-At-Everything.” she said before directing a glare at Potter. “It’s only the first day and I’ve already figured out that he’s an insufferable arrogant prick.” She muttered darkly. Severus frowned.

“Tell me something I don’t know.” Lily turned back to him and sighed. 

“Give it a few days Sev, I mean, it’s only the first day.” She said with a small teasing smile. He rolled his eyes. Lily frowned as she looked at the Slytherin table, he turned to find his classmates and Lucius staring at him disapprovingly. “Did something happen that I need to know about?” she asked him as she stared at them. 

“No.” Severus lied. “I’ll take care of it.” he muttered before walking to the Slytherin table. Lily frowned after her friend, something wasn’t right. She watched as he silently sat down next to the blonde man. 

“You should really be careful.” A voice said next to her. She jumped and spun around to find a tall redhead standing next to her. 

“And who might you be to offer unsolicited advice?” Lily asked bluntly.

“Fabian Prewett at your service. Unsolicited but necessary advice. Slytherins are unwelcoming of outsiders...”

“If you think I am just going to stop being friends with Sev because he is a Slytherin then you are absolutely wrong.” Lily interrupted.

Sighing Fabian shook his head, “No, you don’t understand. Slytherins value unity. They do not tolerate oddballs in their company, and your friend is an oddball.”

“Sev is not an oddball!” Lily said storming off to the Gryffindor common room. Fabian shrugged and walked back to the Gryffindor table. 

“What did you do to make Lily so angry, Fab?” Alice asked as he took a seat diagonal from her. 

“I was just warning her about making things hard for her Slytherin friend. Malfoy is already giving him bad looks. She obviously didn’t understand my point. You should talk to her.” Prewett replied.

“Well, she is a muggleborn and is new to wizarding culture and politics. I suppose I can try to explain…” Alice trailed off.

Sirius, who had been sitting a few seats to the left of Alice, was eavesdropping on Fabian and Alice’s conversation. He had quickly zoned out from James, who had started explaining Quidditch and his many flying adventures to Peter. Sirius tried to squash the pity he felt for Severus. Slytherin politics were a hell hole and Malfoy was just a slimy stompable snake, he thought as he remembered Malfoy’s interest in Cissa.

“Sirius, let’s go, we have flying.” Remus said laying his hand on Sirius’s shoulder, giving it a slight shake. 

The four roommates headed out to the Quidditch field where they had their flying lessons with the Slytherins.

***

During Lunch at the Slytherin Table…

Severus took a seat next to a frowning Lucius.

“Your friends determine your social standing.” Lucius said.

“Friends? There are only allies.” Severus retorted.

“Are you forming a charity alliance with mudbloods? Maybe you deserved to be a Hufflepuff.”

_ Mudblood _ . Severus disliked that word, but this was his chance to build his connections in Slytherin. Severus knew Lucius was testing him, so with a slight pause he replied, “Well, my fellow Slytherins treat me as if I am a mudblood.” He felt a small pinch of self-loathing as he watched Lucius study him with cold blue eyes.

“Well then prove that you are not one and you may have an ally.”

The rest of their lunch passed by in silence as Severus pondered how to talk to Lily about his Slytherin peers. Not to mention, how would he get the Slytherins to trust him?

***

“Welcome to your first flying lesson!” A thin, athletic woman made her way across the field towards them. The groups of chattering eleven year olds fell silent. “I’m Madam Hooch, and I’ll be your instructor.” She looked over at them all and they stared back. 

Flying! Sirius thought. He eagerly bounced on the balls of his feet. This was going to be great. Severus, on the other hand, stared blankly at the broom on the grass. Flying, he thought numbly, this is going to be… interesting? 

“Psst…” Severus looked up and Lily smiled at him before giving him a discrete thumbs up. “You’ll be fine.” she mouthed encouragingly. He gave her a weak smile in return. 

“Okay. Step up next to your broom, hold out your dominant hand, and say ‘up!’ Ready… on my whistle. One. Two. Three.” A chorus of ups followed as Madam Hooch blew her whistle. 

Severus looked down in shock as the broom shot into his hand. Wide-eyed he looked up at Lily. She looked up, her broom in her hand, and grinned proudly. “Yes.” she pumped her fist. 

“Beat you to it.” James teased Sirius, the two boys held their brooms. 

“Yeah, right.” Sirius rolled his eyes.

“It’s not working!” Peter panicked. Wringing his hands he stared up at his three friends. 

“Maybe try to say it with more confidence.” Remus suggested kindly. 

“Yeah, without your voice shaking so much.” James added. Peter looked at the broom before trying again. 

“Up!” he squeaked. The broom wiggled on the floor. 

“That was…” Sirius trailed off. 

“Very good for your second try.” Remus said, giving Sirius a warning look. 

“What did I do?” Sirius muttered. James shrugged as Remus continued to coach Peter. 

“Now, I want all of you to mount your brooms, kick off, and hover for a moment.” Madam Hooch said. “Ready. One. Two. Three!” 

No thanks, Severus thought as he reluctantly sat on his broom. Why would anyone want to fly on these fragile twigs used for cleaning? One was literally begging for death! Cautiously, he kicked off, slightly wobbling as he closed his eyes. Not good. Not good. Not…

“You’re doing great!” Lily encouraged. Severus slowly opened his eyes, and stared right at her. “Just don’t look at the ground.” she advised. He nodded keeping his eyes firmly on Lily.

“Higher!” Madam Hooch commanded. 

He watched as two familiar boys immediately shot up into the air behind Lily. Lily followed his gaze and rolled her eyes. “Show offs.” Severus nodded offhandedly watching them as they completely disregarded Madam Hooch’s instructions. She shouted after them, but was cut by the first years cheering around her, as the two Gryffindors did a few tricks in the air. Incredible, Severus thought, their movements looked effortless. “What idiots.” Lily shook her head disapprovingly. “They’re going to lose us House points!” 

Severus grinned. “That’s good for me though.” Lily scowled. The two boys landed, and after having an earful from Madam Hooch, Sirius and James decided to follow directions. 

The rest of class passed by quickly, and Severus finally relaxed after he had his feet firmly on the ground. Flying he supposed was a beautiful art, but he just hated broomsticks and heights. He wished he could fly quickly, lightly like the blowing wind. Like them, he thought wistfully as he gazed at James and Sirius. He shook his head his head and reminded himself that there were more important things to achieve.


	5. Potions and Pendulous Relations

#  **Chapter 7: Potions and Pendulous Relations**

_ September 3, 1971 _

Severus was only half-listening as Mulciber bragged about the many trophies he had won in broomstick races. Yesterday, after flying class, he had headed to transfiguration with the Ravenclaws where Professor McGonagall had put all of them to the task of transfiguring a match into a needle. She seemed to be a strict, no-nonsense, and fair professor that Severus had immediately liked. He had been the only Slytherin boy to achieve the complete transfiguration, which had prompted Professor McGonagall to award 5 points to his house. This had slightly increased his precarious position in the eyes of his roommates. Of course, he had also spent most of last night flattering their egos by asking them questions on pureblood culture and politics. As he pondered his day, his eyes momentarily wandered to Black at the Gryffindor table. Narcissa had told Lucius that Bella, whoever she was, was out for Sirius’s blood and that Lord Black’s threats were the only strings holding her back. 

“Snape, pass me some of those mashed potatoes.” Rosier ordered.

That brought Severus out from his recollection of last night and instead he focused his attention on his next class, Potions with Gryffindors. Malfoy had told him that Professor Slughorn usually allowed students to choose their own potions partners. He didn’t want to get stuck with someone like Black who just semi-listened to the professor as he doodled in his notebook. If he was honest, there was only one person he wanted to partner with: Lily.

“SEV! SEV!”, Lily shouted as she excitedly made her way to the Slytherin table. 

He could feel the eyes of those at the table turn to stare at him with disapproval and he just wanted to disappear into thin air. However, he took a deep breath, slowly making his way to meet Lily before she reached the Slytherin Table. 

“Lily,” he said quietly as he grabbed her arm and dragged her toward the entrance of the Great Hall. 

“I don’t understand why we have to sit with our houses. There are no rules stating a student must sit at one’s House table in  Hogwarts: A History .”

“There are no rules explicitly stating that, but it’s just a norm due to the rivalries between the houses.” Severus agreed.

“Malfoy, the blonde seventh year Slytherin perfect, told me that we get to choose our partners in potions and that we have the same partners until fifth year.” Severus told Lily.

“Ok.”

“Umm..so...uhhh…” Severus struggled

“Do you want to be partners?”

“Yes!” Severus said nodding and thanking Merlin that Lily was so understanding.

Now, he had the arduous task of explaining to Lily that she had to stop yelling his name and seeking him out in such a public manner. She continued to talk to him about potions, and how interesting the subject seemed to be. “The book was so interesting, I couldn’t understand all of it though. But it’s just like you told me!” Severus couldn’t help but smile at her enthusiasm. 

The pair quickly walked into a room in the dungeon corridor. “It’s so cold and echoey down here.” Lily whispered to Severus, as they quickly took a seat in the back of the empty classroom. “Who teaches this class?” Lily asked as she quickly took out her potions textbook. 

“Professor Slughorn, head of Slytherin House.” Severus replied as he observed the potions room. 

“Oh…” Lily was cut off by the door opening. 

“Good morning!” An amiable man greeted as he walked in with a few books and notes in his hands. “What are your names?” 

“Severus Snape, sir.” Severus answered deferentially. 

“Lily Evans, sir.” Lily replied with a smile. 

“Ahh, nice to meet you.” the man said as he got ready for the lesson. Lily and Severus looked at each other and grinned. 

“He’s so nice! This is going to be a fun class, I can tell.” Lily whispered. Severus agreed silently. 

A few minutes passed, and students slowly started to trickle in. The Gryffindor girls gave Lily a wave which she returned, while the Slytherin first years ignored Severus and sat in a corner at the front of the room. So much for starting to get on their good side Severus thought. 

“Welcome to your first potions class.” Slughorn began with a small smile. “This class is meant to further enrich the study of potions. It’s not an easy class, especially as you get older, so pay attention and study well, for only those who understand the subject will succeed in it.” The first years hung on to his every word. 

“Really?” Lily whispered. Severus shrugged. 

“Now, I want you all to turn to page….” He was interrupted by the door opening. Everyone turned around to find four Gryffindor students panting. 

“We apologize sir.” Remus began to say as he tried to catch his breath. 

“We got lost.” Sirius finished with a grin.

“I see, well… find a seat and turn to page 4 everyone.” Slughorn said. “What are you names?” Slughorn asked. 

“James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew.”James said pointing at his friends, as the four quickly sat down behind Severus and Lily.  

Lily and Severus looked at each other and silently groaned. Just their luck, of course, they’d be stuck in front of Potter and Black. 

“I see, do try to be on time in the future.” Slughorn said. “Now I want you to make the potion, Burning Bitterroot Balm, on page 4 with your seat partner. It is due at the end of class. The student storage room is in the back, and you also have your own ingredients that you should have purchased before school started. You may begin.”   

“I’ll get the ingredients.” Lily said as she studied the page and rummaged through her book bag. Severus nodded as he quickly set up his cauldron. There were no instructions on the page about how to set up his cauldron, and he silently thanked his mother for teaching him the basics of potions. 

“Wait, are you sure that is the correct way?” Severus heard Potter whisper to Sirius.

“Yeah, Auntie Cassie has been giving me potions lessons since I was six and Severus has his set up the same way.”

“You’re on a first name basis with that slimy snake?!” Potter seemed to be scandalized.

“Well...he is my partner in Defense, and weren’t you supposed to get the ingredients from the store room, you lazy arse?”

Lily could also hear their “whispered” conversation clearly enough and was giving Severus the “Can you believe those arrogant pricks?” look. Severus pointed toward the book and discretely wrote in the margin: “We will be better potioneers than those idiots. First, this potion!” Lily smiled and nodded. The rest of potions class passed by quickly enough without any memorable mishaps. After all, the Burning Bitterroot Balm was a simple and well-know potion that was in every wizarding home. Severus scanned the class quickly as Professor Slughorn called time and realized that everyone’s potions weren’t the pleasant sky blue color that was the defining characteristic of the potion. Instead, they seemed to be the only team with a perfect potion. Black-Potter, Rosier-Greengrass seemed to be a close second. Avery-Mulicber’s potion seemed the worst of the lot having turned a dark shade of black.

“Ahh...what a potion you have there Miss Evans!” Slughorn commented as Lily handed him the potion.

Lily blushed under his praise and replied, “Thank you sir! I couldn’t have done it without Sev.”

Severus tried not to grimace as Slughorn asked, “It is quite unusual for a Slytherin and Gryffindor to be partners, much less friends. Perhaps you knew each other?”

“Yes sir! Severus was the one who told me...” Lily started.

“We grew up in the same neighborhood sir. Please excuse us, but we have another class to get to.” Severus said pulling Lily along with him before Slughorn could offer any response.

“Why did you do that? We still have time until class.” Lily said angrily yanking her hand out of his as he dragged her towards the Great Hall. 

“You don’t need to tell everyone our life history.” Severus said in low, angry voice. “I don’t want the Slytherins finding out I am a poor half-blood with a drunkard father.”

“I wasn’t going to tell him that and you know it. I was just telling him how we met.”

“Lily, you need to stop being so obvious and public about our relationship. ‘How dreary – to be – Somebody! How public – like a Frog –  to tell one’s name…’” Severus said quoting Emily Dickinson. 

“That’s not true at all! You have always wanted to be known. You just don’t want to be associated with a muggleborn like me!” she cried accusingly. Tears pooled in her eyes as she yelled, “I hate Hogwarts! I thought we could fix all the world’s problems with magic, but wizards are worse than muggles. Coming to Hogwarts was the worst decision ever. It made Petunia hate me, and now it’s taking you away too!”

“Lily, that’s not true. I…” he pleadingly started saying before he noticed some green and silver out of his peripheral vision. He quickly switched his tone to sound more neutral and continued, “You don’t understand.” Not that it mattered anyway, she had already run towards the Hogwarts grounds and he had to use his entire willpower to not go after her.

A small crowd of Gryffindor and Slytherin first years had gathered and he tried to look dignified as he walked towards Transfiguration pondering what he could do to get Lily to forgive him. So much for thinking he had made any progress with the Slytherins; now Lily hated him, and he was truly a loner.

 

 

_ September 3, 1971 _

Lily had considered not attending Herbology as she ran toward the  Gryffindor tower, but she didn’t want to miss a class within the first week. She wondered if Hogwarts sent letters home to parents about missing classes and in the end just decided to get through her last class before she cried herself to bed. However, she wished she had missed Herbology. Potter, who she supposed, was trying to cheer her up, kept, annoyingly, calling her “Lily-Flower” and “My Lady” as he passed planting tools to her. Professor Sprout was a dark haired, recent graduate with little teaching experience and was therefore not an experienced disciplinarian. Marlene and Mary had both tried to talk to Lily, but she just ignored them and dwindled class time by playing with the soil and pretending to plant. She missed home…

Even dinner was a solemn ritual. Lily played with her food dully and ignored the concerned looks Marlene and Alice were giving her. At least it’s Friday, she thought glumly. Luckily for the first years, the teachers had been gracious enough to not give them homework during their first weekend. Not that Lily cared, she just didn’t understand why Severus didn’t want people to know that they were friends. Is he embarrassed to have a… a person like me as a friend? Is it something I did? He wasn’t embarrassed before. Does he hate me now? She felt tears prick at her eyes. No, she scolded herself, you will not cry. A tear escaped from the corner of her eye as she roughly rubbed it and stood up. 

“Lily?” Alice said watching the redhead rush out of the Great Hall. 

“Don’t worry about that slimy git, we’ll get him for you!” James shouted after her. 

“Don’t you dare James Potter.” Marlene said before standing. “It’s none of your business anyway.” She turned to Alice, “Let’s go.” Alice nodded in agreement before standing up. 

“What did I do?” James questioned Sirius as the girls left. Sirius shrugged before shoving a piece of chicken in his mouth. What would mother say now? He wondered rebelliously, throwing his etiquette lessons out the window. 

“You were being insensitive.” Remus muttered from beside them before looking up. “I’m tired.” He yawned. “You coming Peter?” he turned to the boy next to him, who nodded. 

Sirius watched the two walk away. “What happened to those two?” James asked him. 

“Who knows?” Sirius shrugged as he stared at the starry ceiling of the Great Hall. 

Up in the Gryffindor tower, in the girls dorm, Alice and Marlene tried to comfort Lily, asking her what happened, and why she was crying. 

“I don’t get it!” Lily said softly. “He was fine before.”

“Severus?” Marlene asked. Lily nodded. Alice sighed before standing up and crossing the room. 

“You have to understand the situation he’s in Lily.” Alice told her. 

“What situation? All I see is…”Lily paused for a moment before lifting her tear-streaked face to look at Alice. “Does this have to do what that guy… Fabian, told me?” Alice nodded. 

“So, it’s true. Slytherins hate muggle borns.” Lily said in a horrified whisper.

“No, it’s more complicated than that.” Marlene explained. 

“The wizarding world is made up of what we call pure bloods, half bloods and muggle borns, or, crudely said, mud bloods.” Alice said. Lily nodded. 

“I know. The pure bloods don’t like the muggle borns and the half bloods are looked down upon to a certain extent as well, but that doesn’t matter anymore, right?” She looked at them hopefully.

“Not necessarily.” Marlene replied. “Some pure bloods don’t care about blood status, but other do.” 

“Wizarding politics is complicated Lily. Maybe even more so than muggle politics. Wizarding children are taught politics from a very young age. We’re forced to put mottos to family names, and memorize the diplomatic relationships between the Ancient and Noble families - a group of twenty eight pureblood wizarding families.” Alice said monotonously. 

“Most wizarding families who find muggle borns distasteful try to get sorted into Slytherin. According to history, Salazar Slytherin, the founder of Slytherin house, believed that magical learning should be kept within magical families. He believed that muggle borns were unfit to learn magic.” Marlene told Lily sadly. 

“Unfortunately, some wizards still believe that today. Most of them get sorted into Slytherin - that’s what people think anyway - but there are some in every house who believe this.” Alice explained gently. “Severus happened to get sorted into Slytherin.”

“And the Slytherin house is in the middle of the political vortex of the wizarding world.” Marlene added. “Most of the children who have politically prominent family members are sorted into Slytherin.” 

“You have to understand that Severus is trying to keep both you and himself safe. The Slytherins already know he’s a half blood, most of them will shun him. Adding you into the mix puts both of you in danger.” Alice looked at Lily with a blank expression. “You always talk about how smart Severus is. I think he’s dumb.” Lily opened her mouth in protest, but Alice went on. “If he really was as intelligent as you say, he should’ve broken off your friendship as soon as he got sorted into Slytherin. For him to still be hanging around with you… he cares for you Lily… he cares a great deal. And you childishly running to him in public is not helping him.” 

“Slytherins value conformity and unity, and they will destroy everything in their path to make that a reality.” Marlene stated grimly. Lily looked at them and wiped her tears away. 

“And what about you? Do you hate muggle borns as well?” She sniffled before looking up at them. 

“No.” Marlene shook her head. “I don’t believe in it.” Alice nodded in agreement. 

****************************************************************************************

Severus had promptly left Transfiguration, his last class on Friday, to his dorm room. He kicked off his shoes and laid in bed with his curtains closed. Dinner did not really entice him and he ignored the protests of his hungry stomach. Many times, he had gone to bed hungry...what was one more day? 

I f*cked up so bad. Lily is never going to forgive me, he thought morosely. He had just lost his only friend and he felt as if his heart was broken into a million pieces. Logically, he knew that this would be the perfect moment for him to push Lily away and cut all ties with her. However, he couldn’t. He could not just stop caring and loving Lily.

“I am so dumb!” he chided himself in a low voice. “I should have realized that Lily wasn’t fitting well into Hogwarts. Why didn’t I even ask her?” Lily had always lived a happy, loved, sheltered life and he should have anticipated that she may miss her family. “Of course she isn’t going to be happy to have food on her plate and no drunken father!

This was just another thing to add to the list of “The Infinite Reasons Severus is an Idiot.” He would apologize and beg Lily until she forgave him. Even if Lily never forgave him, Severus promised himself, he would always look after her. After all, he did not have any other best friend. There were only two people he loved and cared about: his mother and Lily.

And so while others joyfully ate dinner - Lily talked to her friends, two Gryffindor boys plotted mischievously - Severus Snape was all alone in a cold dark room. He eventually fell asleep, a lonely boy in a lonelier world.

*************************************************************************************


	6. Chapter 6

#  **Chapter 9: The Marauder's Beginning… sort of**

_ September 3, 1971 _

“Psst.” James hissed from the top bunk. 

“What do you want?” Sirius groaned before turning away. 

“I’ve been thinking….” James started. “Oy! Don’t fall asleep!” He chucked a pillow at the still form of his friend. 

“Ugh…” Sirius glared at him from the bottom bunk. “What in Merlin’s name was that for?” 

“As I said, I’ve been thinking about what happened to Lily.” Sirius raised his eyebrow.

“You woke me up to talk about Evans? Are you kidding?” 

“Come on mate, be serious.” James said. 

“I am Sirius.” Sirius said with a tired but charming grin. 

“Shut up.” James chuckled. “You know what I mean. But anyway, I was thinking: What if we prank Snape?” Sirius frowned. 

“Why?” 

“Because he obviously hurt Lily flower, and we can’t have slimy gits like him trying to hurt one of us.” 

“You’re just trying to get Evans to notice you. Don’t worry, if you really want to ask her out, I’ll help you. Andy says to not do anything desperate, girls don’t like that.” Sirius said before turning away. 

“It’s not about… nevermind.” James sighed before trying again. “Come on! Please! It’ll be fun!”James promised. Sirius grumbled internally. He had two options: get Severus mad or get James, his only friend other than Reggie, upset. 

“On one condition. No one can know it was us.” Sirius finally agreed. 

“Okay.” James nodded easily. “It’s not like we want to get expelled during our first week anyway. Mom would murder me.” Sirius smirked. 

“Yeah? You’re so unlucky.” Sirius said sarcastically. James snorted before shaking his head, his messy hair looking even more disastrous than usual. “So what do you have in mind?” 

“What if we hang him upside down?” James wondered. 

“That’s breaking our first condition.” Sirius said monotonously. 

“Fine. Oh, I got it. What if we dye his hair?” James asked. “Does that violate your code of ethics too?” 

“What color?” Sirius asked as he pondered which spells he could use to change the color of someone’s hair. 

“Hot pink.” James exclaimed. 

“You know dying all the Slytherins hair to hot pink would be even better. Or Gryffindor colours.” Sirius added. James’s eyes lit up. 

“Brilliant! I like the way you think!” He grinned. Sirius sighed internally. At least now Snape wouldn’t be marginalized. 

“Let’s change their hair color to scarlet and gold. What do you say?” James asked. 

“Okay... Now go to bed.” Sirius said.

“What? But wait! We have to do it tonight!” James whined. Sirius stared at him irritably. James pouted. 

“Yeah? And how do you suppose we’ll sneak into the Slytherin common room at night?” Sirius asked. 

“Well, your cousins are Slytherins, right? They must have told you the password at some point.” 

“They haven’t.” 

“Okay, okay. Then we could just do it at breakfast tomorrow.” James said. 

“What a brilliant idea! I mean, it’s not like that sort of magic isn’t taught to first years at all!” 

“Wow, has anyone told you that you get really sarcastic when you’re cranky?” 

“No, I’m too charming for someone to say anything mean to me.” Sirius sighed as he watched his best friend pout. Groaning, Sirius rolled out of bed and started to rummage around his trunk.

“What are you doing?” James asked. 

“Well, if we want to pull this off tomorrow, we’re going to need a plan.” Sirius said as he sat down with a piece of parchment and a quill. “Oh, and we might have to snag a charms or transfiguration textbook from one of the seniors.” 

James grinned. “I’m on it, captain!” He saluted Sirius before quietly running out of the room. Sirius sighed, if anyone figures out that it’s them, they’re going to be in big trouble. 

A few hours later, the two boys irritably skimmed through another textbook. “I can’t find anything!” James moaned. “And my back aches.” 

“Just remember this was your idea.” Sirius gritted his teeth as he tried to ignore the dull ache in his back. 

“We’ve been at this for hours.” James stretched his back and closed his textbooks. Looking over at Sirius, he found the dark haired boy seriously scribbling something down onto the piece of parchment that was now covered with notes and indistinguishable symbols. “Sirius, let’s try it again tomorrow okay?” Sirius looked up, the relief evident on his face. 

“Thank Merlin.” the older boy muttered before falling to his side and closing his eyes. 

James blinked as his friend slept on the floor. He contemplated between waking his friend up to sleep in bed or letting him go to sleep on the floor. He’ll be fine, James decided, gently taking away the textbook from his friend and draping a blanket over the still form of Sirius Black. “Good night.” he whispered before running out of the room to return the textbooks to their rightful owners. 

 

_ September 4, 1971 _

“Oi, James, Sirius.” the two boys opened their eyes to find Remus looking at them with concern. “Are you two okay?” James nodded, while Sirius yawned. 

“We… didn’t… get… much sleep last night.” Sirius said between his yawn. 

“Which reminds me, we should probably go to the library.” James said before grabbing Sirius’s arm and dragging him off the bench. 

Sirius protested and quickly snagged a piece of toast. “See you later!” James called as the two boys exited the Great Hall.

“What’s up with those two?” Marlene asked quizzically. 

“I wouldn’t know.” Remus said.

“And I don’t want to know.” Alice said as she sat down next to Lily. 

“How are you feeling Lily? You seemed down yesterday.” Remus asked kindly. 

“I’m fine.” Lily smiled before looking at him with concern. “You look really pale. Are you okay?” 

Remus blinked, startled, before quickly composing himself. “Really? I should probably go to the Hospital Wing to get it checked out later. Now that you mention it, I’ve been feeling a little ill lately. Excuse me.” he said before he too got up and left. 

Meanwhile at the Slytherin table, Severus tried to catch Lily’s eye and was being blatantly ignored by said redhead. 

Of course she’d ignore me, Severus though glumly. She’s got plenty of other friends, one person won’t make such a difference in her life. At least she looks happy, Severus thought as he watched his friend interact with her peers. 

“You look down.” A cool voice said from behind Severus. Immediately, the first year’s back straightened. 

“I don’t know what you mean.” Severus replied calmly. Lucius slipped into the empty space next to him. 

“Well, maybe things have turned out for the better.” Lucius said thoughtfully. 

“You think so?” Severus said, before realizing he had said that out loud. He mentally scolded himself for that slip up. 

“Do you not?” Lucius’s frigid tone warned Severus of the turbulent waters they’d just entered. 

“Only time can tell.” 

“That’s true but be cautious of who you reveal that fact to. Your situation is still a little precarious. Not to mention, you’re display from yesterday caught the attention of some of the older students.” The blonde scolded before elegantly spooning some porridge into his mouth.

“You offer me so much advice, I can’t help but wonder why.” Severus replied smoothly. 

“That might change if you’re not careful.” 

“Then help me.” 

“And why, pray tell, would I do that?” Lucius asked. 

“I’ll be in your debt, will I not? Surely, one day, I can help you as you have helped me.” The two watched as the rest of the students went on with their morning routine. The rest of the world, it seemed, was ignorant of the political ties that were being made. 

“You still have to pay me.” 

“For the advice you’ve given me? If I may, I’d like to point out that you gave those snippets of information of your own free will. Therefore, as of now, I do not owe you anything.” At Severus’s statement Lucius chuckled quietly. 

“For a first year, you know how to play well. Alright then. I’ll help you, but on one condition: you will obey me during your time here and afterward if I do call on you for your aid, no matter what it be, you will unquestioningly fulfill the task I give you.” Lucius looked down at Severus. “Do you accept these terms?” 

“During your time here, my time here, or our time here? And how many times would you call on me for aid?” Severus asked, quickly spotting the issues with the proposal. 

“Well if you want to gain any semblance of influence within Slytherin, you will follow every direction that I give you within my time here. Afterward, you will, unquestioningly, answer my call for aid for a maximum of 3 times.”

“Are those the terms of the condition then?” 

“Perhaps.” 

“Answer the question clearly.”

“Fine. You will follow my command while I attend school here, and then you owe me three favors. That is my proposal. Is that clear enough?”

“Crystal.” 

“If you break any of these terms…” Lucius chuckled dryly. “Trust me when I tell you I can make your life a living hell.” The older boy slid off the bench. “Have a good day Severus.” 

The young boy started after the blond man, his onyx eyes darkened considerably. I wonder how long it’ll take for me to pay that Severus wondered before he turned back to his unfinished breakfast. Deciding he no longer felt hungry, he stood and walked out of the Great Hall. 

“Hurry up and get it!” Sirius groaned as he supported James on his shoulders. 

“Stay still for a moment, you keep shaking, and I need to get a bit higher!” James protested as he stretched his hand towards the book they were trying to reach. 

“Stop complaining. You try doing this.” Sirius gritted his teeth as he tried not to fall over. 

“What in Merlin’s name are you doing!?” Sirius and James whipped their heads around, lost their balance, and fell. They lay there for a moment, before Sirius lifted his head up to spot his cousin looking at him furiously. “Je demande une explication (I demand an explanation).” 

“Nous sommes tombés (We fell).” Sirius said sarcastically as he sat up and rubbed his head. 

“Guys. English please. And someone please help me.” James said from his spot on the floor. 

Andy sighed before helping her cousin and James to their feet. 

“We were trying to get a book.” James started to explain before Andy cut him off. 

“Wow, you read?” Andy asked sarcastically. 

“You wound me cousin, truly.” Sirius feigned a hurt expression. Finally, Andy looked up at the book and back at the boys. 

“Use your heads. Are you wizards or not?” she asked. Both boys looked at each other before internally smacking themselves. Andy smiled, ruffled Sirius’s hair, and walked away. 

After fixing his hair, Sirius took out his wand and muttered “Wingardium Leviosa.” 

“It was more fun without the magic.” James complained as the two boys went to sit down at a table. 

“It was also a lot more painful.” Sirius said as he opened the book. 

“Details.” James waved his hand as if that gestured explained everything. Sirius grinned at him before pointing at the book. 

“Come on, otherwise we’ll never get this done.” 

The rest of the day passed by rather peacefully: the boys still didn’t find anything useful, Severus was still sulking, and Lily still felt a little hurt and confused. By dinner, everyone was ready to go to bed. They were all so exhausted that they didn’t notice that a first year was missing. 

 

_ September 5, 1971 _

“I can’t take this anymore.” Sirius let his head drop onto the textbook. This was their second day researching. “We’ve looked at every charms and transfiguration book.” 

“Well we did find those few spells.” James pointed out as he leaned back tiredly. 

“Yeah, but they all involved us revealing ourselves!” 

“I know, but we’ll use them as back up.” James said

“In the worst case scenario, we could experiment with them a little and see what we can do.” 

“Hey guys!” The boys turned to see Peter running towards them. “Have you guys seen Remus anywhere?”

“No.” 

“Sorry.” 

“What are you guys doing?” Peter asked. 

“Studying.” the two replied smoothly. 

“That reminds me, I have to find my potions textbook.” Peter said. Sirius perked up. Potions, they’d never thought to look for potions. Sirius mentally hit himself. James seemed to be having the same thought process.

“Peter you’re a genius my man!” James said before hugging Peter. Peter, who was a bit surprised, jumped and shot a terrified look at Sirius. 

“Uhh… I am?” Peter squeaked uncertainty. 

“Yes, you are. Thank you.” James yelled as he ran out of the aisle. Sirius stood to go follow him. 

“Don’t mind him, he’s crazy. As for Remus, have you checked the courtyard. The weather’s nice, maybe he went out.” Sirius told Peter.

“Oh, I’ll do that. Thanks.” Peter said before running out of the library. 

Sirius smiled before walking over to James, who was pouring over a potions book. “How could we have been so stupid!” James said before pointing at a page. “I found it, a hair color changing potion.”

“Great. Now we just have to change it to our needs. And I could easily slip it into the pumpkin juice a the Slytherin table.” Sirius grinned. 

“This is going to be brilliant.” James said as the two quickly scanned the ingredients. “But some of these ingredients might be a bit hard to find.” 

“We can just steal some from Slughorn, I’m sure he won’t notice.” Sirius muttered. 

James looked at Sirius. “I think I’m being a bad influence on you.” 

“Oh dear, think about what my mother will say when she finds out I’ve committed the biggest crime ever: stealing from a - gasp - teacher.” Sirius mocked before laughing. 

Severus walked around the castle aimlessly as he tried to think about what he’d say to Lily when he saw her. “Lily, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean anything I said. Will you forgive me?” Severus shook his head. No, that wouldn’t do. Lily would never accept such a willy-washy excuse. Maybe he could do something else? Yeah, like what he thought to himself. Quickly he pushed his thoughts aside, he had to focus. “Lily, I’m so sorry. These past couple of days have been a bit rough for me. I’m sorry for taking it out on you. It’ll never happen again, promise.” Severus couldn’t help but internally smile at the perfect apology. Turning the corner, he felt a blur of black crash into him before he fell. 

“Hey! That…” he looked to his side to see a pair of familiar green eyes that looked a little shocked at the moment. Everything that he had planned on saying evaporated into smoke. “Uh… I… um…” Get it together Severus, he mentally scolded himself as he stood and offered Lily his hand. “I’m sorry.” he said weakly, before internally smacking himself upside the head. 

“Me too. Are you okay?” Lily asked as she took his hand. 

“I’m fine.” Severus mumbled as he pulled his best friend to her feet. “Hey… um… about the other day…” Lily interrupted him. 

“Sorry, I have to go, if I’m late Alice and Marlene will kill me. See you later.” Lily said as she quickly walked away. 

Severus blinked, before turning on his heel. That went well Severus thought glumly as he headed towards the dungeons. This year is going to be the best he thought sarcastically as he remembered the promise he made Malfoy. 

Meanwhile, as Lily walked away from her best friend her heart weighed heavily against her chest. In truth, she didn’t have to go meet Alice or Marlene. She just didn’t know what else to say. I’m so confused Lily thought as she tiredly rubbed her head. When did things get so awkward Lily asked herself as she headed towards the Gryffindor common room. “Hey!” Marlene greeted as she walked in. 

“Hi.” Lily waved weakly before taking the steps to the dorm. I’ll sleep it off Lily decided. Everything will be better tomorrow, I can apologize and everything will go back to normal Lily thought as she drifted off into a restless sleep.


	7. Chapter 7: It wasn’t us!

#  **Chapter 7: It wasn’t us!**

_ September 6, 1971 _

“Mate! This is it!” James said excitedly as the two power walked to the Great Hall. 

“I know, I know. Now pipe down, you might as well tell the entire world what we’re about to do.” Sirius hissed. The two first years had finally made the “perfect potion” after an entire sleepless night. Still, the two had to admit that the eight hours of work had paid off. 

“It’s your time to shine Sirius.” James winked as he discretely handed his friend a small vial of their prank potion. Sirius grinned before walking over to his cousins. 

“Hello, beautiful ladies.” Sirius greeted, ignoring the pointed stares directed at him, as he leaned his hip against the table, facing his cousins. He let his robes hide his hand as he quickly unscrewed the lid and dumped the contents of the potions into the pumpkin juice at the center of the table. 

“Sirius. Why are you here?” Narcissa asked coldly before she continued to eat her breakfast. 

“Now that hurt.” Sirius pouted as he touched his heart. 

“Okay, jokes aside. What do you want?” Andy asked getting straight to the point. 

“I wanted to ask you if you still have your notes from first year.” Sirius lied naturally. 

“Why? You’re not going to copy off them are you?” Andy narrowed her eyes at her cousin. 

“Maybe.” Sirius stretched the word out before grinning. 

“Perhaps he’s already having trouble keeping up.” Narcissa suggested from the side. “Merlin knows he’s got a brain the size of a raisin.” 

“Cissa!” Andy chided. Narcissa ignored her older sister before turning to her cousin. 

“To befriend a Potter.” Narcissa shook her head. “Haven’t you tarnished the Black reputation enough already?” Narcissa questioned rhetorically. Sirius’s eyes darkened from silver to a stormy gray. He smirked coldly, his eyes expressionless. 

“Not yet.” He said icily. “Have a good day Narcissa.” 

“Likewise.” Narcissa stated calmly before turning away from her younger cousin. Sirius turned to Andromeda, his face softening considerably. 

“They’ve already given us so much homework though.” He whined before giving her his puppy dog eyes. 

“Don’t lie! They haven’t even given you an essay!” Andromeda playfully shoved her cousin before laughing. “No, I will not give you any of my notes.” she said. 

“But why my dear lady?” Sirius dramatically dropped to his knees. “Can you not see the pain your denial has inflicted upon me?” Narcissa rolled her eyes as her older sister laughed. 

“Forgive me, kind sir, but my mind has been made up.” Andromeda played along. The two cousins smiled at each other. “Now go eat your breakfast.” she said as she gestured at him to go.   

Sirius quickly walked to James and smiled. “It’s done.” He whispered. James quickly took out his wand. “Not yet!” Sirius cautioned. 

“I know. I know.” 

The two boys quickly ate their breakfast, sharing hidden smiles. 

 

“Ugh…we have potions first!” Marlene moaned as she took a bite of her toast. 

“But potions is fun.” Lily argued.

“Yeah, when you have Severus Snape, the potions expert, as your partner.” Alice said glumly. “How in the world did he know how to set up the cauldron in the first place?” Lily shrugged. 

“It’s not fair!” Marlene wailed. “Can we switch partners?” she asked Lily. 

“Hey!” Alice said before lightly flicking Marlene in the forehead. “Your partner is right here.” 

“No thanks.” Lily laughed. 

“Are you going to apologize to him today?” Alice asked softly. 

“Umm…” Lily was cut off by a couple screams from the Slytherin table. Everyone turned to find that all the Slytherins were now sporting a brilliant scarlet and gold hair dye. Teenagers from every house started to laugh and the normally stoic looking Slytherin house looked horrified to be donning Gryffindor colours. 

“How did you guys manage to pull that off?” Remus asked James and Sirius. 

“Um… we didn’t do it?” James flimsily denied.

“That was so cool.” Peter laughed. 

“It was.” Remus agreed as he chuckled. “Although, next time, maybe don’t be so obvious about it.” He jutted his chin in the direction of the older Black sister who was accusingly staring at her cousin. 

“I’m so dead.” Sirius suddenly didn’t look so brave. 

“You’re dead? What about me? If your cousins figure out I helped you…”James shuddered. “I don’t even want to think about it.” 

“Out of the frying pan and into the oven.” Remus said from the side. 

“What’s that mean?” Sirius questioned. 

“It’s a muggle thing.” Remus said. “It means… nevermind.” he decided as his wizard friend stared at him quizzically. Remus quickly checked his watch as some students started walking out of the hall. “Come on, we should start heading to class.”

 

Severus stared at his dyed hair in shock. “Eww!” a Slytherin girl said as she stared at her hair in horror. 

“Please tell me we can get rid of this.” Severus looked at Lucius, whose jaw twitched. 

“Unfortunately, I don’t think we can.” Lucius stated as he stared accusingly at the Gryffindor table. “I will get the Prewett twins to pay for this insult.” he hissed before he stood up. “You should get to class Severus. You don’t want to be late do you?” With that, Lucius walked away, his robes elegantly flowing behind him. 

Severus looked down at his empty plate before deciding that scarlet was not his colour. He sighed before standing and following the angrily buzzing group of Slytherin first years to the potions room. Lily was already sitting in the same spot they had sat in last week. Hesitantly, he went and paused in front of her and she scooted to the other end of the desk. Although he seemed to accept his seat with indifference, his heart was soaring with happiness. Turning to Lily, he gave her a small smile and whispered in a low voice, “I am sorry. Are we still friends?” Lily, her eyes still facing the board, gave a nod that would have been indistinguishable to anyone other than her best friend. Severus knew this was the best he could accept from her…

“Merlin! What happened to all your youthful heads?” Professor Slughorn asked. He had not been in the Great Hall when the hairs of his illustrious house’s members had been turned into the the colours of their sworn rival. The Slytherins glared at their Gryffindor counterparts before turning to their head of house. “Well, never mind that. Today I’ll be explaining….” 

Unnoticed by the rest of the room, Lily quickly slipped a note to her friend as she continued to take notes. Last night, she’d written her friend a letter. It wasn’t a letter of forgiveness per say, but it did acknowledge his difficult position. 

Severus’s eyes widened slightly as he took the note and hid it within the pages of his potions textbook. He’d look at it later he decided as he quickly scribbled down the theory on the chalkboard. The pair sat silently for the rest of the period, neither of them said a word, instead choosing to find comfort in the fact that the other was near. 

Class came to end and the two friends went their separate ways. “Bye.” they uttered to each other so quietly that the other barely heard it. 

Those two seemed awfully quiet Sirius thought as he watched Lily and Severus go in opposite directions. I wonder if Lily forgave Severus, Sirius frowned worriedly before pushing the thought away. It’s not my problem he reminded himself. Plus, he justified, they’ll probably makeup in a few days anyway. “... wasn’t it?” James asked Sirius. 

“Yeah.” Sirius agreed, though to what, he had no idea. 

“I mean did you see their faces? It was hilarious.” James grinned. “We should do it again, later.” 

“We should.” Sirius agreed even though it had been a pain to do all that research. The end result was worth it. 

“I can’t believe you two did that though.” Peter said excitedly. 

James put a finger to his lips. “Shh. Don’t shout it out to the world.” 

“To be fair, you were only boasting about it a moment ago.” Remus pointed out. 

“So it was you!” a familiar feminine voice accused. The boys spun around to see a fuming Andromeda, who looked surprisingly scary when she was mad. 

“Uhh… did what?” James asked innocently. 

“Please, I heard you.” Andromeda said as she stalked towards them. The boys backed away, cowering. 

“Sirius Orion Black!” Andromeda started only to be interrupted by a giggle.

“Your middle name is Orion?”James snickered. 

“Oh shut up.” Sirius said. “Ow!” Sirius whined as his cousin grabbed his ear. “We didn’t do it! I swear!” He lied pleadingly. 

“Change it back now!” Andromeda growled. 

“We will, but on one condition.” Remus negotiated. Andromeda whipped her head around and raised her eyebrow. “You let go of Sirius.” 

“And how am I to ensure that you change it back and don’t run away?” She asked.

“We’re Gryffindors.” James said. 

“That doesn’t mean anything.” Andromeda sighed before tightening her grip on her cousins ear. “Now, before you’re late to class, I suggest you change my hair color back.” 

“We don’t know how.” Sirius gritted his teeth as he tried not to yell.

“You what?” Andromeda asked, her tone scarily calm. 

“It fades away in a couple days though.” Sirius tried to appease her, hoping her grip would loosen. 

“And, if you wash it, there’s a chance it’ll come off quicker. I’m sure if you ask Professor Slughorn, he’ll know how to fix it.” James said, trying to help his friend. Andromeda sighed before letting her cousin go. 

“You’re lucky it was me and not Cissa.” Andromeda said as her cousin rubbed his aching ear gently. She turned on her heel and started to walk away before turning around with a grin on her face. “That was quite clever by the way.” She smiled before heading to class. 

“That hurt.” Sirius grumbled, but he too had a slight smile on her face. 

“What if your other cousin tries to hex you?” Peter asked quietly. 

“We’ll protect him.” James said confidently. 

“She’s older than us. Not to mention, she’s probably more terrifying than her older sister.” Remus pointed out. 

“Andy will take care…” The bell cut Sirius off and the four friends ended up running late to class.  

 

Severus yawned behind his hand as Professor Binns lectured. Half of the occupants of the room were already, if not almost, asleep. Struggling to pay attention, Severus quickly scribbled down some notes. At this rate, he thought to himself, it would be better to rely on the textbook and do homework in class. He sighed. 

“Class dismissed.” Binns said in the same monotone he’d used from the beginning of the hour. Sluggishly, the students walked out of class. Severus trailed behind the students, as they went toward the Great Hall with renewed energy. That, by far, was the most boring class I’ve ever been to Severus thought. To think I’ll have to take it for seven years… His thoughts were abruptly interrupted by Lucius waving him over. 

“Sit.” Lucius commanded. Severus set his bag down and slid into the seat. “How were your classes?” 

“They went well.” Severus replied as he began to eat. 

“That’s good to hear.” Lucius said before introducing him to a few older students. Severus smiled and kept his head slightly bowed in a respectful manner. By the end of lunch, Severus was mentally and emotionally drained. Being social, he decided, was extremely tiring. “So, what did you learn?” Lucius asked him as the students around them started to go to class. Severus blinked, of course there was a reason behind all of this. He internally scolded himself for not being more alert. 

“I apologize, my focus wavered throughout the entire ordeal.” Severus said quietly. 

“Hmm...” Lucius’s grey eyes looked down upon Severus, making him feel insignificantly small. “I’m disappointed.” the blond finally said before standing and walking away. Severus slowly stood and headed towards his next class. Carefully, Severus pulled out Lily’s note:

_ Dear Sev, _

_ I still don’t understand completely, but I do realize that you have it harder than I do. You’ve to be more careful, and I’m hurting your progress in Slytherin house more than I’m helping. I realize that now.  _

_ I’m sorry. Why didn’t you tell me? If you’d said something earlier, I would’ve understood. This time, I’ll try to be more secretive about it. I won’t yell your name in the hallways. We can meet less conspicuously. Friends? _

_ Your friend, Lily _

Severus pocketed the note as he walked into the Charms classroom. He smiled slightly. For now, life was good again. 

**Author's Note:**

> This story was initially being post on fanfiction.com as The Untold Story. It is now being re-edited and re-vamped.


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